Material handling and cutting apparatus



Dec. 26, 1933. H. H. M GREGOR ET AL MATERIAL HANDLING AND CUTTING APPARATUS 5 SheetsSheet 1 Filed April 3, 1931 INVENTOR Henry H. NCvregor & Knur E. Eek

ATTO RNEYS Dec. 26, 1933.

H. H. MCGREGOR ET AL MATERIAL HANDLING AND CUTTING APPARATUS Filed April 3, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 T K V Fr V 2 a 5 F32 3 QINVENTOR Henry H. W Gregor & KHM% Dec. 26, 1933. H. H. MCGREGOR ET AL 1,941,099

MATERIAL HANDLING AND CUTTING APPARATUS Filed April 3, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Henry H. Pl Gmgor (3K Knuc E. ECK

ATTO RN EY5 Dec. 26, 1933. H, H, MCGREGOR ET AL 1,941,099

MATERIAL HANDLING AND CUTTING APPARATUS Filed April 5, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOP Henry H. MGre8or & Kmfi Elle ATTORNEYS Dec. 26, 1933- H. H. McGREGOR ET AL MATERIAL HANDLING AND CUTTING APPARATUS Filed April 3, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Henry H. Vl Gregor & Kmfi E. Eek

ATTORN EY5 Patent ed Dec. 26, 1933 MA TE RIAIIH AND LING AND cn'r'rING f APPARATUS I 7 Henry -H. -McGregor and 'Knut E. Eck; Akron, v Ohio, assignors, to'The Firestone Tire & Bub: I 7

her Company, Akron, Ohio, a corporation of g Ohio Application Ap ira ieelf Serial no. 527,380 2Claims.-'(Cl.164--63) .Ihis invention relates toapparatus for hane dling rubber or like batchesaiter masticating or similar operations. I i m The general object of the. invention is to providejsirhple, fool-proof, :efficient apparatus for appropriate lengths for handling purposes. I e

use with a rubber plasticator or a similar device,

which will serve to-convey the'rubber or other material from the plasticator, cool it, dip it into a soapstone or like solution and finallycut it into Theforegoing andother objects of the invention are achieved by the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings anddescribed below, it being understood that-theinvention is not llimitedto jthe specific details shown and vention. The line of division between 'the two' line 3+3 of Figure 1 Fleesne d. y

In the drawingsz, I, Figures 1a and 1 constitute together a side elevation of {the apparatus embodying the intwo portions of the machineis indicated; the line A-,-.B. v V Figures 2 and 2 constitute together a plan' other similar device which is adapted to mix or'otherwise treat rubber or the likeand'which extrudes it in a continuous tube or sheet shown at 8. In case the materialisextruded in tube form a knife 9 issecured to the extruder headv which serves to slit the bottom of the tube and thus allows the tube to assume a flat form as shown.

In alignment with a plasticator 7 are suitable LE5 conveying means which may "include a jour-l naled roller ,11 anda rubber conveyor belt 12 carried onlrollers 13. A take-up roller may be provided as indicated at 14. After leaving the conveyor belt 12 the "material passes to'a main conveyor which compris'esa pair of endless roller chains 15 connected by a pluralitylof crossrods or bars 16 carrying spacing disks 20. The-chains 15 extend around sprocket wheels 17 at one end and about sprocket wheels 18 at the other and throughouttheir' lengths'are supported-by tracksl9'which maybe formed of angle iron secured end of the stretch is a long tank 31,"the bottom of-which to. a suitablejframeiwork 21 as indicated in the drawings. The sprockets "1 7 may be journaled 'in adjustable bearings- 22 to anew any slack in the chains to be taken up; 1 e e I platform 23 is preferably provided over the main conveyorwhich platform carries a motor 24 which drives the conveyor through a reduction gear, unit .25 and a speed change device-26; The conveyor 12 may be driven from the main'conveyors by providing suitable sprockets and chain as indicated at 27. ';One of e the sprockets 28- is an idlersprocketwhich is slidably carried in the frame 21 and which serves to take up the slackin the chain of the drive mechanism-27 when the-sliding'bearings 22 are ad- -justed. I

Mounted in :the frame .21 underthe upper stretch ofv the conveyor but'over'. the lower maybe sloped to' the middleeand provided'with a drainpipe 82 as shown in'Figu-res Hand 4; In order to cool the extruded materiala a plurality of fluid spray means 33 are mounted on the frameZI above and below the upper stretch o,

of the conveyor As indicated in Figure-4 side plates 34 are provided-to'keep the sprayfluid in theproper'place.

' From themain conveyor the material 8 passes v through a tankBS-oontainirig soapstone water or alike mixture. "A roller 36 is mountedon the front of the tank and a largesubmergingroller 37 is journaled' midway of the tank. Theaxles] of rolls Stand 37 are provided with sprockets so 1 that the rolls are driven by a chain 38 fromthe main conveyor. As shown in Figure 1 the ma-' terial 8 passes over roller 36; and under roller 3'7j so that the material is thus coated with the soapstone solution 'or other non-sticking solution contained in the tank 35. 1

' After coating the material8 is cut t is into lengths for handling purposes by. a knife '41, fixed to a! rib 42 of a hub 43 which hub is journaled in pillows 44 and which isdriven byamotor 45 through '3 suitable reduction gearing 46. Pins 47 may be. 0

fixed in the hub 43 to assist in positioning and moving the material 8 along between cuts; The knife 41 is of the so5called lawn mower typeand cooperates with an anvil 48 whichis made ad justable by the provision of screws 49. In front of the anvil 48 aresiliently positioned guide plate 51 is provided and means for resiliently positioning it may include bolts 52 secured thereto and' guided in a support 53 secured to the anvil 48. Compression springs 54 are provided on the bolts 52 between the support 53 and plate 51 as will be understood.

The material 8 is fed to and from the cutter by conveyors which may comprise rubber belts 55 and 56 carried on suitably journaled rollers. The conveyors55 and. 56 are driven from the main conveyor by the chain 38- which extends around a sprocket on the axle of one of the rollers. The axles of the rollers adjacent the cutter are extended and provided with aligned sprockets which are connected by an endless chain 57 so that when the conveyor 55 is driven the conveyor 56 will also be driven.

In the operation of the embodiment of the invention illustrated the motor 24 is started which drives all of the conveyors in the apparatus at the same surface speed. The material 8 is now extruded from the plasticator 7 in tube form and the knife 9 slits the bottom allowing the tube to be spread out fiat. The speeds with which the material 8 is extruded and the surface speeds of the conveyors are equalized by adjusting the speed change device 26. The material 8 is passed over the conveyor '12 to the main conveyor, where the material, which is -hot from the .treating and extruding operation, is cooled by the sprays33, generally of water. The spraying means if liquid drop into the tank 31 and may be drained by the pipe 32. The open construction of the main conveyor and the position of the sprays allows the material to be cooled from both sides.

The roller construction of the chains 15 greatly reduce friction and the power required to move the main conveyor. The slackness of the chains l5 maybe controlled by adjusting the bearings 22.

If the position of the bearings 22 is changed the idler sprocket 28 will serve to maintain the drive 27 to the conveyor 12. Any slackness in thebelt conveyor 12 is taken up bythe take-up roller 14. From the main conveyor the material 8 passes through'the tank of soapstone water as shown in Figures 1 and2 which .ccats the rubber so that it will not stick together or to other surfaces.

The material is now brought by the conveyor 55 to the cutter where .it is cut into the'desired lengths. The length-of the pieces-cut can be adjusted'by varying the speed of the motor or by other means. In the cutting operation the guide plate 51 may move down somewhat as the knife 41 approaches the anvil 48 as shown infulllines in Figure 5-, but as soon as the out has been made the springs 54 force the plate .up to the outward limit of its movement as shown in dotted lines, so that the end of the material will slide over the anvil 48. If the material should tend to curl up after cutting, the pins 47 serve to bring the material back under the hub 43. v

The body of the material dwillcause it to travel from the conveyor 55 to the conveyor 56 after. the cutting operation. The material, after leaving the cutter is removed from the conveyor .56 and stacked or otherwise treated or handled.

Whilethe invention is particularly adapted for use with rubber and rubber treating machine plurality of other materials.

As many changes could bemade in the construction it is intended that all matter shown in the accompanying drawings or described herein shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. Accordingly various modificae tions and applications of the invention can be resortedto without departing from the spirit'of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine for cutting plastic material into the desired lengths comprising a journaled hub, a knife secured to said hub, an anvil cooperating with said knife, means adjustably supporting said anvil, a guide plate resiliently positioned adjacent the upper edge of said anvil, means on said hub for maintaining the material between the hub and the anvil, and'mean's for rotating said hub.

2. 'In combination with a conveyor-line i'or continuously transporting a strip of plastic material, a cutter interposed'in said conveyor line for cuttting said plastic material into desiredle'ngth's,

the plastic material beyond the fixed blade-whereby the cutting operation may be performed while the plastic materialis in continuous motion on theconveyor.

- HENRY H. MCGREGOR.

KNUT E; ECK. 

